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Emergency workers in Derby, Conn., gathered this past week to plan a response strategy for large-scale propane accidents. Working with officials from Suburban Propane, police, firefighters and state homeland-security teams discussed the ways in which they would work to tackle leaks and, if necessary, evacuate parts of the city.

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Propane, gas oven or electric tea kettles can boil water, Cam Mather writes, but the most environmentally friendly way to do it is to use the power of the sun. Mather uses a solar oven to bring water to near-boiling, then finishes the job using a solar panel-powered electric kettle. "There is nothing as comforting as a cup of tea made by solar power. I just love it," he writes.

The damage caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita when they struck the center of the U.S. petrochemical industry in 2005 prompted the sector to re-evaluate its practices and disaster-preparation mechanisms. The Louisiana Chemical Association has been part of the Business Emergency Operations Center, which was established as a hub for emergency planning and response for the state's industries. Chemical companies, this article notes, have overhauled contingency plans and re-examined logistics to minimize downtime caused by hurricanes.

Utility companies and environmental groups were negotiating Thursday with senators on a plan to focus emissions caps on electricity producers first. But the window for achieving consensus on the issue is gradually closing, with the Senate leadership intending to tackle energy proposals as soon as the week of July 26. "The schedule is not our friend," said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.

The Rushford Institute for Nanotechnology is working with nonprofit RINTek to promote interest in the emerging field of nanotechnology and spur economic development in the small Minnesota town. High-school teacher Tom Vix, who took his class to the institute to try out the atomic force microscope, predicted that nanotechnology "is going to be the leading technology in a couple years."

Police, fire, Coast Guard, hospital and United Way workers participated in an emergency planning exercise in Norwalk, Conn., this week. The exercise involved a simulated scenario involving a crashed propane tanker and a lightning strike at the King Industries chemical plant on the Norwalk River. The plant has its own fire department and works with Norwalk police and fire officials several times a year.